Cincinnati is in the playoff hunts thanks to playmakers on both sides of the ball.

PHILADELPHIA — One team will be playing for pride only, but the other still has a shot at the playoffs. And that's the motivation for the Cincinnati Bengals when they play the Eagles tonight at Lincoln Financial Field before a national television audience.

It's been an uneven season for the Bengals (7-6), who have been hammered by the Giants and Ravens and hung tough against the Steelers and Broncos. Cincinnati is tied with Pittsburgh for the AFC's second wild-card spot, although the Steelers currently hold the tie-breaker because they beat the Bengals 24-17 in Week 7. But the Bengals get another crack at the Steelers on Dec. 23, so they still control their destiny.

But first things first, and that means taking care of business against the Eagles, who want to carry over their execution and enthusiasm from Sunday's last-second victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"They definitely have something to play for, so we have to expect their best shot, their best game,'' Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans said of the Bengals. "And I'm sure we're going to get it."

On offense, the Bengals have all the right faces in all the right places, starting with their quarterback, Andy Dalton.

Last year, the Bengals faced a decision the Eagles face now — were they ready to turn the franchise over to a rookie quarterback? Dalton was a second-round pick out of Texas Christian, so he wasn't a top 5 selection from an SEC school. The Bengals went with the rookie and the gamble paid off — despite some growing pains, Dalton was solid and the Bengals went 9-7 and made the playoffs, losing to Houston in the first round.

Dalton is having another fine season. He's thrown for 25 touchdowns with 14 interceptions and he's the 12th-rated passer in the NFL (90.3). That's better than some better-know QBs such as Tony Romo, Cam Newton, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers and Matt Stafford.

And Dalton has been at his best when the games mean the most — he's the NFL's fourth-rated passer (99.3) in the fourth quarter, something the Eagles will want to remember if the game goes down to final seconds again.

Dalton's primary target is wide receiver A.J. Green, who is seventh in the NFL in receptions (79), fourth in receiving yards (1,151) and first in receiving touchdowns (10). Brandon Tate is a reliable second option on the outside and tight end Jermaine Gresham is underrated — he has 55 catches, more than any Eagles receiver.

The Bengals can slug it out on the ground, too. Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis has rushed for 974 yards, which is 11th best in the NFL, and averaged 4.1 yards per carry while scoring five touchdowns.

"A team that has balance like that is always more dangerous than a one-dimensional team,'' Ryans said. "And it makes the play-action much more convincing, too, so we have to be watching for that. Against these guys, you have to watch for everything, because they can do everything."

On the other side of the ball, the Bengals have one of the best one-two punches in the NFL in defensive tackle Geno Atkins and defensive end Michael Johnson. Atkins has 10.5 sacks, which is sixth in the NFL and first among all DTs. Johnson has 8.5 sacks, which is tied for 18th in the NFL, and that is more than twice the number of sacks as the Eagles' leader in that category, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (4).

"Geno is one of the most productive defensive tackles in football right now,'' Eagles guard Evan Mathis said. "He is a very smart player, incredibly gifted physically. He has tremendous strength and when you combine all that with someone who plays lights out, just physically non-stop, then you have someone who can be dangerous."

Talent and balance on offense, a hard-hitting defense and something to play for — that's what the Bengals have going for them today.

"They have a stout defense and they're athletic,'' Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "Offensively, they're explosive. That wide receiver they have [Green] is a pretty good one — in a short period of time, he has become one of the better ones in the National Football League.

"And their quarterback, not only is he a redhead, but he's a good redhead. He can sling that thing around and is a pretty good football player."